hello hugo,
It is a bit difficult to answer since you have not mentioned your budget. I went to chhattisgarh end of last year and if you click on the trip report link in my signature, the last page has several names in raipur and jagdalpur.
If you can outline your itinierary i can suggest better. Also Raipur is one of the most polluted cities in India and has very little to see so stay there only if you must else north and south CG have many more points of interest.
- vaibhav

Hi Vaibhav, Thanks for your reply. I am looking for pleasant and clean hotel accommodation, preferably in quiet surroundings. Not cheap guest houses or the like. I think it is a good idea to move on from Raipur as quickly as possible for the reasons pointed out by you. I would like to visit one or several of the tribal areas if possible. I have seen an exhibition about the tribes in the Bastar area recently and was quite impressed. Which parts of CG do you recommend? My main interests lie in historical sites and ethnography, also wildlife. Many thanks for your assistance. Best regards, Hugo

You may want to go through my trip report for some idea. http://www.indiamike.com/india/off-t...antak-t156117/. My interests are identical and except wildlife (I couldnt factor in a few places due to want of time) I pretty much visited the kind of places you're thinking of. I'd recommend Kondagaon for a couple days minimum, Jagdalpur and surroundings (security situation permitting) for a week or more and Bar Nawapara sanctuary off Raipur for two days

Any specific tribe you're looking for? Do bear in mind that some of the fancy costumes that you'd see in photos (the bison horns on the maria , e.g. are ceremonial wear and the tribesmen wont be wearing it unless there's a special occasion.)

If you form a basic itinerary I can help fine tune it over the next few weeks.

I'm going to Raipur for a few weeks and am looking for a decent hotel to stay in. Ideally I'd spend 800 rupees maximum (not too concerned about a/c).

I'm not looking for a dive nor am I looking for a five star. I'm going to be working there, so wireless internet (or easy access to internet) would be a plus. I've also some equipment, so some minimal security is also a must.

In my trip report is a contact of hotel sun n'om near Raipur railway station. It was newly done in december 2011 and around 1000/- but am sure that's negotiable. The breakfast wasnt bad and the hotel was clean (raipur is horribly polluted and dusty).

i think you should visit hotel Grand International or Hotel simran, both of them are near railway station. i am a business traveler and only prefer these hotels in raipur, they might be a little heavy on budget but are the perfect ones to stay in Raipur, in terms of food, service they are really superb. (have almost tried 15 different hotels over a period of time)